Raccoon Senior High
by LivingInChrysalis
Summary: [Slightly AU] To spice your life up, all you need is a change. That's what Claire Redfield thought after finishing a private Junior High. She then applies for Raccoon City's Senior High School, yet unknowing what is awaiting her. How will she fit into regular conflicts, dramas, romances, and hardships? And what exactly is that deep mystery that's strangely connected to Umbrella?
1. Chapter 01 - The Morning Before

Hey there, and welcome to my very first story here :)  
Be prepared for an **_author's note_** (I'd be thankful if you read it before reading the first chapter);

Since I'm digging stories that revolve around the canon characters being in High School, and since I'm also in love with RE, I thought I'd combine these two.  
Of course I know I'm not the first to do this, and I sincerely respect the authors here who already wrote stories with a similar theme - but I promise not to copy them.  
 _This here is a standalone story that does not copy someone else's. It only got some inspiration by others._

Before you ask, let me clarify some points:  
• If you prefer HS stories that jump right into romances etc. quickly, you may not like this one. I take my time to develop detailed characters and events  
→ _however_ , if you like detailed stories containing realism and plot twists, you may like this one :)  
and most importantly:  
• English is not my mother tongue. Because of that, it can happen that I don't use certain words, phrases, or idioms correctly. If I do so, _don't be shy to tell me_ :)  
I'd love to improve my language skills and you could help me to do so! :)

Also, here's a little **disclaimer** : I respect the characters of the franchise, and do not earn any money by writing about them ( would be great if I did, though c; )

 _Feel free to let me know whether or not you'd like me to add some characters of your liking, or maybe some events._  
 _I'll definitely take your suggestions into consideration.  
_

 ** _With that being said, let's jump right into Claire's first morning before entering her new adventure ..._**

* * *

 **Chapter 01 – The Morning Before**

"C'mon, you can't just give up without even trying!", Chris sighed in disbelief while pouring his little sister a cup of coffee, in secret hope to lighten up her spirits.  
After all, being the big protective brother he was, he certainly knew that his sister wasn't quite known for being a morning person.  
Rather for the exact opposite. A late riser with a tendency towards a night owl.

"I know, Chris. You're right. I know. But-", Claire stopped while scratching her forehead; a gesture she grew used to while being in deep thought and scrutiny, "But still … maybe I've done the wrong thing. I mean, don't get me wrong, I really love living with you and I missed you like hell, but-"

"You're scared.", he interrupted her roguishly.

"No, I'm not!", she insisted heavily, not without staring at the cup of coffee her brother held in his right hand.

"Then what's this whole thinking about?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe I'm a little nervous. After everything I've heard of public schools, especially high schools, I can't help but feel misplaced already. I'm gonna stick out so much!", the younger Redfield groaned, however, her fierce mimic began to loosen up a little when Chris finally put the coffee right before her on the kitchen table. "Thanks."

"Don't be over-dramatic, Claire-bear, I-", he was hastily interrupted by his sister's voice.

"Hey! We had an agreement! Stop it with that silly nickname! I'm not a child anymore, got it?"

"That's exactly what children say."

"Jesus …", she couldn't help but sigh silently. She sincerely hoped that Chris was just teasing her and wouldn't actually call her "Claire-bear" inside of school. In all honesty, she was able to hear the laughter already. And see herself not being taken seriously anymore. Not that she would be anyways. After all, she strongly believed in not fitting into public schools. At least, that's what her friends always used to tell her. Asking her whether or not she was sure to do this. To move away. To change schools. Especially to transfer into a public school. Finally, the questions moved into her head, haunting her the morning before her first day of Raccoon Senior High.

"Anyways, what I was going to say – before you rudely interrupted me", he took a seat closely beside her, "I'm sure you'll make it easily. You're a Redfield. And we're tough. You know that."

Uplifting, he patted his sister's shoulder softly while she sipped the black coffee.

At first, he hadn't been fond of Claire's plan. All of a sudden, she had called him, asking if she could move into his small home, and applying to Raccoon Senior High. She was in need of a change, she had been saying, she wouldn't endure the boredom of the countryside any longer. A few discussions later, he had given in.  
He couldn't deny that he hadn't had his own favors in mind while agreeing upon it. He had missed his dear sister after leaving their grandparents' hometown. They had never been separated up to this day. Since both their parents died, they had strongly relied on each other and had formed a bond beyond the one of normal siblings.  
He liked to refer to it as the "Redfield's bond". They always sticked together. No matter the cost.

And he was glad to have her in Raccoon City.

"C'mon, let's move. School's starting soon.", Chris got up from the cozy chair and grabbed Claire's empty mug while being at it. He placed it besides the sink and left the open kitchen, moving into the connected living room.

Unwillingly, Claire got up as well, stretching her tired muscles and sighing melodramatically. She followed her brother's steps – as usually – brushed her teeth, slipped into her black Timberlands, and watched Chris leaving the house through the front door. Ultimately, she put on her loose, matte black jacked that looked like the thinner version of a bomber jacket, and left too, closing the door behind her.

Sitting on the passenger seat and absently watching the roads, shops, buildings, and some trees of Raccoon City's downtown roll by, she couldn't help but worry about her decision.

She knew that it didn't matter anyways, it was irreversible and already done, yet she still pondered over it. Would she really fit into the mass of people who probably knew each other since first grade? Suddenly, she would come across and expecting to be accepted as a friend amongst people who've never even heard of her.  
Surely, this was going to be a mess.

 _'Your damn fault, Claire. You should've thought this through a lot more than you did. Great job.'_ , the little voice of her anxious thoughts claimed. _'Here comes your great adventure. This is what you've wanted. Adventure. Remember? Don't screw it up.'_

"Claire?"

She startled in surprise and realized they weren't driving anymore. Had she seriously missed the whole drive? Damn.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm as fine as I've ever been. Thanks for asking though.", her ponytail wiggled along to her nodding, she unbuckled the seat belt and got out of the car as fast as she could.

"Here we are. Not as scary as you imagined, huh?", Chris asked enthusiastically and put his arm around her shoulder, seemingly lifting her whole torso up into his firm grip.

"Yeah.", she replied scarcely and started to move forward across the parking lot. It was surrounded by bushes and some tiny trees. All in all, the whole schoolyard seemed quite promising. Sure, there was some trash lying around, but as long as she didn't encounter any human kind of trash, she would be just fine.

The first thing she noticed, right before entering the main hall through the huge double-winged door, was an almost unseen emblem printed besides the entrance. She had seen it before; the shape of an umbrella, colored rotational in red and white. And she had certainly heard of the belonging company, too.  
 _Umbrella_ , a pharmaceutical enterprise that was well known for funding most of Raccoon City's public institutions.  
So Raccoon Senior High was funded as well?  
 _'What a big surprise'_ , she thought, _'the whole damn town is just an Umbrella-themed theme park, to be honest.'_

Focusing on her impressions of Raccoon City as a general – she hadn't come to know much about the city yet, by just living there for approximately one month now –  
she almost forgot her worries about being the "new kid".

"You know where to head now, right? The administration is over there, just follow the hallway and you'll be fine.", Chris pointed on a sign that read "Administration Office".

"Thanks, Chris. Honestly. Thanks for having me here.", now, she was the one patting on her brother's shoulder that was harder to reach than she remembered. He sure had grown in size during her absence in his life.

"It's alright.", he bent his back a little and moved closer to her ear, whispering as he silently added: "Claire-bear."

She chuckled a bit and nudged his breast firmly.

The school bell rang, and suddenly, the quiet peace was swapped by the loud noises of several people rushing through the big main hall, babbling while doing so. Their noises were mixing into a medley of busy people, Claire felt out of place already. Chris moved his head around, seemingly searching for someone in this mess of people.

"I'm gonna head to the science lab now, if you need any help, don't hesitate to-"

"Chris!", a girl with hazelnut brown, chin-length hair suddenly confronted her brother and began to push him away from Claire, "You're finally here! Ms. Gione is gonna tear your head off if you're late to hear class again! Move you idiot!"

"You're Claire, if I recall right? I'd be glad to talk to you now, but your brother really needs to move his ass quick! I'll see you around, though.", while tightening the grip on Chris' sleeve with her left hand, she wove with her right hand: "I'm Jill, by the way."

"Now let's bail!", she finally grumbled into Chris' direction, not paying anymore attention to Claire and dragging her brother along with her. However, he threw a quick glance over his shoulder and indicated an eager thumbs up into her direction, only to disappear in some hallway.

"Well …", she mumbled almost inaudible, for her ears only, "here goes nothing."

Then, she went towards the administration office with a queasy feeling striking her, trying to ignore all the students that rushed through the hall and sometimes crossed her way.


	2. Chapter 02 - First Encounters

Hey guys, and welcome back to the second chapter! :)

I was so thrilled to receive such friendly reviews, and there were some requests made, which I'll definitely take into account.

So without further ado, let's see what Claire is awaiting next and what is going to happen while she's searching for the administration office ...

* * *

 **Chapter 02 – First Encounters**

Claire gave her best to keep her head high. _'Don't look down so much, you need to look confident. And confident people don't stare at the bottom like some desperate, shy wallflower.'_

Before she had even considered to apply for Raccoon Senior High, she had already built a new image for herself. She sought for being a confident, not-to-screw-around kind of girl. That's why she had pimped up her entire wardrobe, replacing her formerly vintage-styled clothing with a rather grunge-kind of aesthetic. She did not have in mind to look like a tryhard, however, she proudly managed to combine her unconventional attitude of being a motorcycle-enthusiast who also happened to be interested in firearms, with her mindset of wanting to be a surefooted girl. And much to her liking, she could do so while still being "girly" enough for boys to be interested in her. After all, she wasn't there to crush any gender roles. Not yet.

A sudden bump tore her out of her thoughts.

"Sorry, I-", she stuttered, still taken by surprise. Did she seriously just bump into a guy? On her first school day? Like some sort of cliche "new girl"? Thank God she hadn't carried any books with her that had fallen onto the ground, waiting to be picked up by her, whilst the guy would offer his help and gazing romantically into her eyes simultaneously … like some sort of standard American teenie-drama.

"Goddammit.", she hissed, podding gradually away from him. Her chest hurt a bit due to the sudden impact, yet her feeling of embarrassment overcame the pain.

"Hey don't worry.", the guy responded, "Just look where you're going next time."

"Excuse me?", her head rose jerkily and their eyes met. She needed to concentrate all her willpower in order to withstand his eye contact – she didn't like it too much and preferred to look anywhere besides stranger's eyes. Nevertheless, this now belonged to the new image she had made up. Being steadfast.

"Now I get it. You're the new girl.", he concluded.

"Um, how do you know?"

"Just by the way you're wandering around aimlessly, probably heading for the administration. But lemme tell you you're a bit off."

"Well, thanks, but I already knew that.", Claire didn't know why she reacted so stroppy all of a sudden. Perhaps this was due to the fact that the guy seemingly made fun of her. Or at least, that's what she thought he intended.

"No need to get bitchy about it just now. I was just trying to help. But apparently, the madame is not in need.", his counter hit home pretty well, Claire had to swallow that defeat hard.

"I wasn't _bitchy_ , just to make that clear.", she defended herself, not even knowing for what or why. Who was that guy anyway and why was his voice so damn low? It sounded rasp and deep, almost emotionless, yet with a small hint of impishness.  
She took a moment to eye the guy; his hair was dark brown and the front hair slicked back, his eyes almost just as dark, and additionally, he wore a tight light-gray T-Shirt and some standard jeans which contrasted his generally darker appearance.

"Whatever. I won't bother you any longer, you have more important places to go. And I'm already too late for class.", slowly moving forward while he spoke, he didn't miss the opportunity to present his buff upper body. Clearly intentional, he walked past her just close enough to firmly touch her shoulder with his, slightly pushing her at the same time. Claire stifled a mean insult and concentrated on her aim again. 

_'Who does this idiot think he is?'_ , kind of annoyed, she grumbled in her thoughts. _'Is everyone here somewhat pissed by nature? I hope not.'_

Although she disliked stereotypes, she couldn't help but crediting them still. _Some_ cliches turned out to be true. And cliches existed for a reason, they didn't just pop up out of nowhere. And as far as she had heard, there were some pretty messed up people attending public schools. However, she didn't want to become too petty and reproachful. Maybe he just had a bad morning. Like her. She also realized that she turned sour pretty quick over little things.

After some stumbling across hallways, she finally reached her destination: The Administration Office.

"Good morning, my name's Claire Redfield. I just transferred to this school and wanted to collect my student's card and course list.", she showed the blonde secretary with the bob-hairdo her sweetest smile while standing behind a counter.

"Sure, give me a second.", the woman seemed as if she had seen better days. Leisurely, she rolled back on her office chair, opened some drawers, looked through some files – taking her time. "What's your name again?"

"Claire."

\- "I meant surname."

"Sorry, Redfield."

"Alright …", the secretary mumbled unmotivated, dug through even more files, until finally pulling one out. A beige dossier with a thick "REDFIELD, C." printed on it. After that, a second dossier followed, with the exact same printing on it. Apparently, this had to be hers, since the woman fiddled out a small plastic student's card and some sheets of paper. "Sorry for the wait, there's a bit of a mess going on in these files. School hasn't figured out how to tag files with the same surname and a similar forename."

She dropped her student's card on the counter, along with a schedule, and a small key. "This is your student's card, you need it for the cafeteria and the library. Try not to lose it. This is your key for your own locker, and this is your schedule. There's all the info you need. Just head to your class and try not to get into any trouble."

Claire collected her belongings and put them into her small, black backpack: "Thank you."

Before she could leave the office, the secretary appealed to her: "As you may know, you brother's quite known for getting into trouble easily. I hope you stay away from it, it doesn't do you any good. If you need anything, just ask for Alyssa Ashcroft. I'm here to help."

\- "Thanks, Ms. Ashcroft. I'll do my best."

"I hope so.", for the first time, Ms. Ashcroft smiled at her. 

Claire left and headed straight up to her supposed class – or at least, tried to. The building turned out to be huger than she expected and by that, more confusing as well. The words of Ms. Ashcroft cursed through her head. Chris got into trouble often? Was that true? It had to be … why should Ms. Ashcroft lie? Claire decided to ask her brother about it next break, if she saw him there.

She finally found the room she was supposed to go to, on the third floor. According to her schedule, she was already too late for her first class: Social Studies. Taking a deep breath before entering her first class and before meeting more people of her courses, she was struck by worries yet again. Nervously, she opened the door and stepped inside, interrupting the talking teacher by doing so.

"Sorry for interrupting, I'm-"

"No need to apologize!", the teacher almost cheered at her. "You must be the new student, am I correct?"

"Yes. My name's Claire Redfield.", she swallowed hard as her eyes flew over the rows of unfamiliar faces. Great. She felt like being served on a silver plate.

"Welcome to my class! My name is Mister Lumley and I'm sure you'll get along just fine! Take a seat wherever you can. How about ...", the teacher's finger circled through the room, while still holding a piece of white chalk. "There?"

 _'Oh no.'_ , her eyes widened tensed. There he was again. The _idiot_ from before.

"Um, I-"

"Don't hesitate!", Claire couldn't help but question what was wrong with that teacher. He seemed friendly, but a bit irrational and a little too enthusiastic for her taste.

Deciding not to get into any discussion just now, Claire reluctantly went to the free chair, right next to the _idiot_. Without even looking at him, she sat down, unpacked a college block and some pens, and straightened her ponytail.

The teacher continued with his class and wrote something on the blackboard, but Claire couldn't really concentrate. The presence of the guy to her left made her nervous. Why wasn't he saying anything? Could he finally break that awkward silence between them? Was he mad at her? And most importantly: Why did she even care?

When she peaked on her watch, she realized that this was going to be a long class …


	3. Chapter 03 - Meeting the Jerks

Yet again, I want to thank you for your kind reviews :) They're motivating me to keep going!  
This chapter is slightly shorter than the others, but I'll make it up again by posting the next one a bit earlier.

Also, I have a _short_ announcement to make: While working on this project, I'm currently working on a FanFiction based upon the newly released game "Detroit: Become Human" by Quantic Dream. I recently played it and felt the urge to do it, so stay tuned for that one if it interests you.  
It may take a while though until it's actually in a state of being published.

 _Anyways, let's continue with class ..._

* * *

 **Chapter 03 – Meeting "the Jerks"**

Claire couldn't restrain herself anymore. All the time, during class, she had subtly peaked over to the guy and up to now, he hadn't even glazed at her.

"Look, I didn't want to be rude. I'm sorry, okay? But how about we stop ignoring each other?", she whispered while leaning slightly into his direction, still looking straightforward in order not to catch the teacher's attention.

"Lemme give you a tip, little girl: Don't mess with the wrong people. Got it?", again, his voice had this rasp undertone and he didn't sound too pleased.

"What's that supposed to mean?", ignoring the teacher, she turned her head into his direction, feeling a bit attacked. _Little girl_?

"You'll find out soon enough."

\- "Claire! Billy!"

She startled in shock and looked at the yelling teacher almost automatically.

"I'm glad you get along so well, but do you have anything productive to add to this class?", he asked, sounding impatient and annoyed.

When neither of them answered, he continued: "That's what I thought! How about paying attention instead of talking! As for you, Claire, you're lucky I don't want to send you to Ms. Ashcroft just yet. But you, Billy, you know half this school's fed up with your behavior and if you don't improve, you can forget about ever graduating!"

Instant silence. As if the march of time had stopped.

Some of the students peaked over to both of them, some began to mutter silently, breaking the muteness.

"Now let's continue."

Suddenly, it was like everything went back to normal. As if nothing had happened. As if time went on again.

Claire's heart pounded faster and stronger against her breast than ever before. Never had she been chided by a teacher. Up to this day.  
She always had been a perfect straight-A student. Loved among teachers, mostly ignored by most of the other students.  
Just now, it all seemed to change drastically.

When class was finally over and the people left the room, she intended to talk to the _idiot_ aka Billy once more. Maybe she could clear things up a little.  
Contrary to her plan, he packed his things as fast as he could and left in the same speed. _'Here goes that plan.'_

She was the last to get out of the room and as soon as she stepped inside the hallway, someone grabbed her shoulders from behind: "GOTCHA!"

"Jesus, Chris!", her outcry stopped his laughter and he loosened his grip around her, finally letting her free. "How did you-"

"I payed Ms. Ashcroft a visit, she told me where you're at.", as if he knew what she was going to ask, he already answered her question. "How was your first class?"

"Awful.", shouldering her backpack and starting to head towards the staircase, Chris followed her.

"Why that?"

"I had to sit next to that idiot who mocked me this morning. I tried to clear things up, but he just told me _not to mess with the wrong people_. Then I got yelled at by Mr. Lumley."

"Man, that sucks.", Chris sighed. "Who was that idiot? Tell me!"

\- "It doesn't matter, no need to get further into this."

"You don't understand, it does! Just tell me, please.", he sounded pretty incited and insisted in telling him.

"I don't really know. His name's Billy, I think.", she shrugged her shoulders in disinterest, she didn't see any reason to interpret more into this situation than necessary.

"Coen …", he grumbled in a displeased manner, crossing his arms while walking downstairs.

\- "What's wrong? Is something wrong with him?"

"Let's talk about this later, okay?"

"If you say so …"

A few minutes later, the Redfield siblings sat in a crowded cafeteria, waiting for the line to the counter to minimize.  
Every cafeteria was the same, always the same jostling over terrible, microwaved food.

That girl from this morning, _Jill_ , Claire remembered, sat down right next to Chris.  
She placed a serving tray with some cupcakes on their wide, dark gray table and approached Claire next.

"I'm thrilled to finally talk to you properly!", Jill made a friendly and lively impression to her, she even gave her one of her chocolate cupcakes. "I know your brother for some years now and never got to see you. But he mentioned you a lot."

"That's sweet to hear.", Claire was indeed flattered. Chris had talked about her while he was away? She had always thought that he had other casualties in mind besides his sister who hadn't lived with him anymore.

"Y'know Claire, Jill was one of the first people to actually talk to me when I moved here. She's great."

"You should've come to this school way earlier. Chris has never been so charming before.", Jill giggled and took a huge bite from her cupcake.

"You know that isn't true. I'm a gentleman!", he joked and received a soft punch on his upper arm for that comment.

"Anyways, I can take you through school a bit if you like. Maybe show you some important places, like the science labs or the lockers. And show you which places to avoid … and certainly which people."

Claire took her chance: "Is Billy one of those people?"

"Oh man.", Jill's good mood was replaced by an expression of concern. "Don't mention _that_ guy. I can't stand him."

\- "What did he do?"

"He belongs to the jerks who think they get away with everything. He gets into trouble, like, almost every day. He's disrespectful and even had a fight with Chris once."

"Wait, really Chris?", Claire looked at him, slightly disbelieving Jill's story. However, it added up to Ms. Ashcroft's plea this morning … she said he got into trouble quite often.

"Well – thank you Jill for bringing that up –", he sarcastically answered while rolling his eyes, clearly irritated, "but yeah, it's true. He's a fucking scumbag. Let's just say we aren't on the best terms."

Jill picked up on her point again: "No one knows what his problem his, but he sure attracts trouble. Just try to avoid him, okay? For you own good."

"Too late to say that now. She already had her encounter with him.", Claire couldn't say why, but Chris sounded as if he was really pissed at her.  
Did he think she did something wrong? Why didn't he just tell her straightforward?

\- "Please tell me you didn't piss him off."

"No, _he_ pissed _me_ off.", Claire insisted.

\- "If he thinks otherwise, this is gonna end bad. I'm not the one to tell you what to do – I leave that one for Chris – but do yourself a favor and avoid him from now on, okay?"

"I don't want to avoid anyone. Is this really necessary?"

"Yes, it is. And could we please stop talking about this jerk? I want to enjoy my lunch.", with Chris' tempered statement, their conversation ended.

Jill went on and ate her second cupcake, meanwhile, Chris just stared at the slowly shrinking line with a fierce mimic. Why was he so angry all of a sudden?

Claire sighed. _'Awesome, I already fucked up.'_

She couldn't wait to see what was awaiting her next.  
Jill and Chris mostly seemed to agree upon that Billy guy … hopefully, her dispute with him wouldn't bring any severe consequences.


	4. Chapter 04 - Sweet Creatures

Hiya guys,  
I'm so terribly sorry for the long break although I promised to update sooner, but there's been a death in one of my friend's family and I was there to support him and his family. I hope you're all able to understand and forgive my absence!  
As a compensation, I'll upload two chapters today!

Hope you'll enjoy reading, and take care of each other! x

* * *

 **Chapter 04 – Sweet Creatures**

"Hey, there's Rebecca.", Jill wove heavily into the crowd, "Rebecca!"

A girl with the same hair color as Jill came up to them, yet her hair was even shorter than Jill's. She had soft green eyes and a kind looking face, and her smile had an innocent touch.

"Hey guys.", she greeted them in a tender voice, much to Claire's surprise, it sounded much younger than the others'. "Gosh, the line is so long, I don't think I'll eat anything here today. I don't want to wait forever."

"Same goes for us.", Jill roguishly added and offered her one of her cupcakes, "Want one?"

"Sure, thank you.", by accepting it, she sat down on the bench across the table, sitting vis-à-vis. "Oh how rude of me, I haven't noticed you before.", she lowered her cupcake and reached out for her right hand, "I'm Rebecca Chambers. You're Chris' sister, Claire, right?"

A little bit surprised of this gesture, Claire shook her hand: "Yes I am.", after that, she looked back at Chris again, "By the way Chris, does everyone here know who I am? It seems like it."

\- "Not _everyone_ , of course. I told my friends you'd join us. And most teachers will recognize your last name for sure."

"What's your next class, Claire? Maybe we have some together. Let's take a look.", Rebecca suggested and Claire started unpacking her course list.

She put it in the middle of the table and together, they scrolled through the rows.

"Oh you have Chemistry next, me too! We can sit together if you want."

"Sitting next to Rebecca in Chemistry is always a big bonus. She's a natural, only straight A's.", Jill added between their conversation.

\- "Aw thanks Jill. But I don't like, y'know, bragging about it. There's better people than me."

"There's always gonna be someone somewhere who's better in something than you. But this ain't a reason to talk yourself down. You're amazing, let's keep it at that.", coming to think of it, Claire could imagine Jill as a great motivational instructor.

"Maybe you can motivate me. I'm not much of a chemistry-enthusiast, to be honest.", Claire sincerely hoped that her and Rebecca could study for upcoming exams together. In her last grade, she got that A- by pure luck and thanks to her teacher's kindness. She wouldn't keep her A this grade without learning properly.

"What do you like?", Rebecca asked.

\- "Mostly creative classes, like Literature or Arts. Back in Ohio, I also took a Photography class. That was fine, too."

"I'm sure you've informed yourself already, but this school's got great electives. You can even take Gardening classes! I love it.", she slid Claire's schedule back to her side of the table and proceeded to eat her cupcake.

"Yeah I know, sounds nice. I read the whole thing.", as a matter of fact, Claire really did. "I think I'll choose Small Engine Mechanics from the Applied Arts branch, it sounds really interesting. But I still have to decide over my second course."

"Small Engine Mechanics?", Rebecca's eyes shifted over to Chris. "Amazing how much you come after your brother."

"We come after our father.", Chris claimed proudly while protectively putting his arm around Claire's shoulders. "Right, Claire?"

"True.", she nodded. "What do you wanna take?"

"It's so hard, I can't decide. A part of me really wants to go into Gardening, but maybe an additional Organic Chemistry course would be nice, too. But I'd also dig Environmental Science, or maybe Nutrition … it's not easy.", her grouching confirmed that this choice really wasn't going to be easy for her.

"I remember when we had to take our decision last year. Can be pretty hard.", Jill piped up.

\- "What did you choose?"

"Martial Arts and Rock Climbing, that way I don't have to hit the gym anymore. Saves money actually. And it's fun.", Jill seemed confident in whatever she did. While Claire asked herself if she could really manage to pull off Small Engine Mechanics, Jill climbed and learnt how to fight. Chris was right. She was awesome.

The school bell rang and just as it did, several students began to leave the cafeteria in a hurry.

"Well, we have to go now.", Rebecca stood up and Claire did as well.

"What do you have now?", Claire asked them before leaving.

"Nothing, free period. But thank God we can finally eat something, now that most people are gone.", Chris took out his wallet and as he got up in order to head towards the counter, and looked over his shoulder. "We'll see you guys later after school."

"Yep, bye!", Rebecca tugged at the sleeve of Claire's jacket. "We should move."

Thanks to Rebecca's help, Claire actually managed to arrive punctual to her next class. She saved a lot of time by not having to search for a room.

They took a seat next to each other on a bare polished white table with some Science equipment, for instance some Petri plates, on top of it. On the side, some people had written things on it with black Sharpie, including phone numbers with kinky descriptions beneath them.

"Good afternoon class.", a woman with dark brown hair coiffed into a perfect low bun and dressed in a white, clean gown entered the lab. The students went silent, suggesting that they took this teacher seriously. "I heard we have a new student. Don't be shy. I'm Miss Excella Gione. Now would you kindly introduce yourself?"

Sighing, Claire nodded and began: "Hi, my name's-"

"Stop!", Ms. Gione interrupted her and slammed her fist on the blackboard. Claire jerked shaken. "Serve this class the required respect and get up, would you?"

Wordless, she did as she was told and stood up, feeling uneasy and idiotic: "Hi, my name's Claire Redfield.", she sat down again.

"So you're the scarce type, are you? Don't you think your classmates have more interest in you than simply knowing your name?"

"Actually, no, I don't think that's gonna be necessary. No one cares.", she opposed, gaining several gasps from the other students.

"Oh dear, you shouldn't have said that.", Rebecca whispered worried.

\- "Why? What's wrong?"

Suddenly, an unpleasant silence prevailed. The students began to stare at her, while Ms. Gione slowly walked up to her in a menacing way. As she reached her desk, she looked down to the two girls, yet ignoring Rebecca: "So you think you're smart, don't you? Let me tell you something: School is about respect. And if you share your brother's attitude in not adapting to it, you can leave this class right now. Do you understand me?", her voice got a lot more silent but also, a lot more intimidating.

Actually respectful, Claire nodded and tried not to break their eye contact. She felt like an animal that needed to prove its strength. Because otherwise, this teacher would straight up murder her effortless. At least it seemed like it. ' _What the fuck is wrong with those people here?'_

"Good. Now stand up, and introduce yourself, please.", she went back to her desk again, giving her an expectant glance.

She got up: "Alright, sorry for my rudeness. My name is Claire Redfield, I'm sixteen years old, and just moved to Raccoon City. I transferred to this school and am looking forward to improving my impolite behavior that me an my brother apparently share.", of course, she couldn't be not sarcastic. Thankfully, Ms. Gione didn't notice her obvious sarcasm and looked pleased.

"Thank you, Ms. Redfield. You may now sit down."

She couldn't believe this whole school. In merely one day, she actually managed to get into trouble three times. This had never happened back in her former private school. Was it her fault? Or was the majority crazy here?

"Open your textbooks to page 269. We will continue our last lesson's topic; the Chemical Equilibrium and Le Châtelier's principle."

The whole class began studying the given page. Claire couldn't help it: "What is wrong with her?", she whispered as silently as she could, trying not to look at Rebecca too obviously.

"She's really conservative and half Italian, feisty and moody.", Rebecca explained equally quiet. "Now please stop talking. Don't make it any worse."

Claire tried to concentrate on the Chemistry stuff written on the book's pages, but she didn't understand anything of this gibberish. So her eyes began to drift through the lab when suddenly, her eyes met the ice-blue ones of another guy.

Taken by surprise and somehow nervous, she promptly looked away. Her blood rushed through her entire body faster than ever, directly into her cheeks. _'Oh no, please no.'_ , she actually blushed. On the one hand, she never wanted to look at him ever again, but on the other hand, her body had literal cravings to do so. She gave her best to restrain herself. _'Don't look at him, don't look at him, don't look-'_

She did it again.

She sighed relieved, thank God he didn't look at her again. She only saw the back of his head, his blonde hair. Who was he? She needed to know. But as far as Rebecca was concerned, she couldn't possibly ask her without getting killed by Ms. Gione. Her face began to heat up again. _'Oh sweet Jesus.'_


	5. Chapter 05 - Gaining Interest

**Chapter 05 – Gaining Interest**

"This is your homework. Please copy the instructions into your notepads. I do not wish to see anyone leaving this class without writing it down!"

Although Claire didn't even understand the task of their Chemistry homework, she wrote it down out of fear of Ms. Gione's reaction if she didn't. When the class stopped writing, Ms. Gione stood up: "You may now pack your things and leave. See you next lesson."

Everyone managed to literally escape as fast as possible, including Rebecca and Claire. Standing outside in the hallway, she took a deep breath.

"Damn, this class is intense.", Claire had to smile out of disbelief. This school was a mess, but she grew to like it. Or maybe that was due to the blonde guy who wouldn't stop haunting her mind. She must ask Rebecca about him.

"Can I ask you something without sounding weird?"

"Of course! And trust me, you won't sound weird.", while talking, they slowly headed for the staircase.

"Good. You don't happen to know who that blonde dude of our class is, right?"

"Who do you mean?", Rebecca teased her, her smile was worth a thousand words.

"C'mon, you know who I mean.", Claire almost whined.

"Hm, if I recall right, there's lots of blonde people here.", she sounded really amused.

"Ugh fine. The one two rows ahead of our desk, with the black jacket and the slightly long hair. With the blue eyes."

"That's a pretty detailed description."

"What do you mean by that?", Claire reacted to her comment more aggressively than she intended to. _'What's wrong with you? Don't be mean to Rebecca, she's so cute, you idiot!'_

"I think you figured it out yourself, Claire." _'You have no idea how right you are.'_

"I guess I have.", she instead added.

"I won't keep you on tenterhooks forever. His name is Leon Kennedy. And I know he's … you know what I mean.", Rebecca grinned, looking shy.

"Aw you can't say it, can you?", now Claire was the one to tease.

"I don't know what you mean!"

"For damn sure you know! That's adorable.", her mischievous smile grew in size. Coming to think of it, it only fitted to Rebecca's appearance that she was prim. "I mean that you can't say he's fucking hot!"

"Who is _fucking hot_?"

Claire jerked and a well-known heat seized her face again. They had reached the main hall and Jill must have overheard their conversation.

"Jesus Christ, Jill. Don't scare me like that!"

Jill didn't even try to hide her laughter. It broke out of her.

"What's so funny?", suddenly, Claire couldn't react with humor anymore, she somewhat sounded pissed.

"You're funny, Claire.", Jill answered. "Not in a ridiculous kind of way, of course."

\- "Then why are you laughing?"

"Just look at you. You look so cute with red cheeks. Has anyone told you that yet?"

"Please no.", she thought aloud, sounding majorly concerned.

"Oh yes!", Jill almost squeaked out of joy. "Do you wanna tell me who this is all about?"

"Not really."

"Aw shit, I'm so curious! But you don't have to, of course.", she shifted over to Rebecca. "But you know, right?"

\- "Are you serious right now? Is this an interrogation?"

"Relax, Claire. I'm not asking Rebecca who you were talking about. I just wanna know if she knows."

"I do.", Rebecca shared Jill's grin.

"Oh my God, this is awesome!", Jill had such a positive, optimistic, and joyful attitude. "But we should really go outside, Chris is waiting."

Her embarrassment and blushing had faded a little when they reached the parking lot, where Chris waited, leaning on his car with crossed arms.

"Finally. What took you so long?", he asked amused and unlocked the car.

"Trust me, you don't need to know.", Jill thankfully didn't harp about it in presence of her brother. The last time Claire had had a boyfriend, Chris had guarded her like gold. Of course he hadn't shown up while they were in privacy, but he had asked her about their relationship a lot. Typical bigger brother behavior.

The four of them got into Chris' car. He drove them to their homes, Rebecca simply got out with a friendly "See you tomorrow, guys!", while Jill and Chris chatted for likely more than ten minutes.

When they finally got home, Claire doffed her shoes as well as her jacket and slumped into one of their armchairs in the living room. She was tired already.

"It's been a long day, right?", Chris took a seat on the big sofa close to her. "And? How do you feel?"

"Alright, I suppose."

"Only _alright_?"

\- "What did you expect to hear, exactly?"

"I don't know, maybe a bit more … enthusiasm?", he shrugged his shoulders.

"Now I see why you and Jill get along so well.", Claire smiled at her older brother.

"Is there anything you wanna tell me, Claire-bear?", he moved closer to the sofa's end, looking at her in curiosity.

"Nothing.", she put off innocently.

"I see.", he nodded in an amused way. "I have a football match tonight, and you know we rock. Do you wanna see me smash the others live?"

Actually thrilled, Claire snatched up, her tiredness gone: "Sure, I'd love to! Who are you playing against?"

\- "South Charleston High School. Trust me, these nerds don't even stand a chance against the Raccoons."

"Then I can't wait to see you guys _smash_ them."

\- "Awesome! This is gonna be great! Let's have some dinner, I need to get all my strength for the match."

As they proceeded to prepare dinner together – as they always did – Claire's thoughts circled around that Leon.

Maybe he played football, too? Was he the football type?

She certainly hoped so, because maybe, with a little luck, she would meet him this evening after Chris' match …


End file.
